Georgia Pastor Indicted for Covid Relief Scam

A Georgia pastor is in a heap of legal trouble. A federal grand jury indicted the pastor on charges related to stealing thousands of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds.

Mack Devon Knight, 45, was accused of lying to the Small Business Administration in applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans, the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of Georgia reported.

Apparently, Knight said he was also a mortician, restaurateur, and tax preparer. He applied for the loans in February and March for two Camden County businesses. However, his applications withheld false information, including the false claim that the businesses he was applying under, each had hundreds of thousands of dollars in gross revenue prior to the pandemic.

Knight submitted a false bank document and was approved for $149,000 for one application. That’s when he purchased a Mercedes-Benz, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Newspaper stated.

If the pastor is found guilty, he can face financial penalties and a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.